October 20, 2018

 

RALEIGH – The 21st-ranked NC State men’s soccer team (8-4-3, 2-3-2 ACC) picked up an important 1-1 draw with 24th-ranked Syracuse (7-4-3, 1-3-2) Saturday evening at Dail Soccer Stadium.

 

Syracuse took the lead in the fifth minute on a Sondre Norheim goal from a Hugo Delhommelle corner kick and was 24 seconds away from winning the match before a moment of individual set-piece brilliance by sophomore Brad Sweeney sent the match to overtime.

 

Postgame Notes

-Syracuse entered Saturday’s match ranked seventh in the RPI. NC State was 19th.

-The Wolfpack ended the home portion of the 2018 regular season with an unbeaten 6-0-3 record. NC State averaged crowds of 1,272 fans per match this season in Raleigh.

-Since the beginning of the 2017 season, NC State is 5-6-3 against opponents ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches poll. From 2009-16, NC State went 7-30-7 against top-25 opponents.

-Prior to the match, NC State honored a seven-man senior class that features Simon Blotko, Stephen Elias, Nick Retzlaff, Tanner Roberts, Christoph Schneuwly, Cjay Sparks, and Ade Taiwo.

-Wolfpack sophomore goalkeeper Leon Krapf tied a season high with six saves in the draw.

 

The Wolfpack nearly took a 1-0 lead in the second minute of the match from a corner kick when a sharp header from a diving David Norris was saved at the last moment by Syracuse goalkeeper Hendrick Hilpert. Syracuse scored just moments later, finding the back of the net on its own corner kick when Norheim nodded a delivery past Krapf at the near post.

 

On Senior Night, it was fitting that a Wolfpack senior played a large role in the equalizing goal by Sweeney. Roberts chested down a long ball from the Wolfpack back line, held it up for a few seconds, and earned the key foul 19 yards from goal to set up the equalizing free kick. Sweeney’s goal was his third this season directly from a set piece.

 

NC State concludes the 2018 regular season at Clemson on Saturday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 pm from Riggs Field with live video coverage provided by ACC Network Extra.

 

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